Method of playing a game

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method of playing a game conventionally based purely on skill comprising the steps of:
         providing a board divided into squares having light and dark colors;   providing a set of ordinary playing pieces selected to move conventionally in selected paths;   providing denoted squares constituting home squares for additional playing pieces known as stop pieces;   providing a random device in addition to the said board and the said set of playing pieces;   wherein each of the players making consecutive moves one at a time starting each move by using the random device for selecting either a conventional move or a stop piece move followed by a conventional move;   wherein each stop piece blocks each moving path of any other piece on the board.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a method of playing a game and specifically the game of chess and the present invention also provides a new variation on the classic game of chess.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The classic game of chess is played between two players by moving pieces on a square board called a chessboard which is composed of sixty-four equal squares provided in eight horizontal ranks and eight vertical files, alternately with light and dark squares. The chessboard is placed between the two players in such a way that the near corner to the right of each player is of light color. At the beginning of the game, one player has sixteen light-colored pieces, the other has sixteen dark-colored pieces. Each player has a king, a queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops as major pieces and eight pawns in their respective color. The initial position of the pieces on the chessboard and realization of the game is explained in the rules of the chess game presented under section E.I. in the FIDE Handbook by the World Chess Federation.

Several attempts has been made in order to modify the classic game of chess which can bee seen for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,763, U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,178, U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,789, U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,334, U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,626 which all shows game of chess modifications based on only the skill of the players.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,763 a modified chess game is known which contains a chessboard having additional files on each side of a conventional chessboard. However the conventional chessboard is expanded to hundred squares as a 10×10 sided chessboard. Additionally this modified chess game contains four additional pieces, two pawns and two “dragons”, of each player. Thus, the complexity, dynamics and strategy is as well as the required skill of the players developed by this modified chess game.

However in U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,016 a method of playing chess is known were some of the moves are recorded out-of-view so that the playing out of these moves adds surprise to the play and an element of chance to the outcome of the game.

It is an object of the present invention to incorporate a degree of chance into any game that includes pieces moved in a specific path in which game previously the outcome is the result of purely skill when the players makes their moves. Specifically the invention covers the classic game of chess in order to make the game more interesting when a high rated player meets a low rated player.

Thus, during a game of chess under the present invention it is possible for a low rated player to win over a high rated player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In addition to playing a game involving moving pieces is specific patterns and in which the outcome of the game is purely based on skill this invention adds a degree of chance in to the game. Thus, a low rated player may win over a high rated player.

In addition to the conventional classic game of chess under the rules of the World Chess Federation, FIDE, hereby incorporated by reference, an extended chessboard is in the present invention used with six additional squares placed as three squares in two extra files, one file on each side of a classic chessboard. These additional squares are placed three in each extra file at the ranks of 4 to 6 on the queenside and on the ranks of 3 to 5 on the kingside. Each extra file is dedicated to one of the players so that the extra file on the kingside is dedicated to the player with the light pieces and the extra file on the queenside is dedicated to the player with the dark pieces. The squares on the kingside are numbered 1, 2, 3 from rank 5 downwards and the squares on the queenside are numbered 3, 2, 1 from rank 6 downwards.

In addition to these extra squares each player has three additional pieces with the same color as the players ordinary pieces to be used in the game, where the additional pieces are numbered 1, 2, and 3. Each players additional pieces is placed on the corresponding numbered additional square in the extra file to the right of the player.

And at last a six sided dice or any kind of random means is used in order to add a degree of chance in the game. When using such a dice the random number will be 1:6 which means that one number out of six is picked by random. If an other random number is preferred a suitable random means is used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a chessboard according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of the starting position of the pieces on the chessboard according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of a chessboard according to a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates a classic chessboard 21 with sixty-four alternating light 22 and dark 23 squares arranged in eight files 24 marked A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and in eight ranks 25 marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. In addition to this conventional classic chessboard, called the “64-area”, the chessboard according to the invention is extended with two additional file sections 31, 32, the first additional file section 31 on the kingside and the second additional file section 32 one the queenside, each with three squares which extends the chessboard to totally seventy squares. The added squares on the kingside are denoted 1, 2, 3 from rank 5 downwards and the added squares on the queenside are denoted 3, 2, 1 from rank 6 downwards as can be seen in FIG. 1.

These six added squares may be used in a game by all of the pieces, i.e. the kings, the queens, the rooks, the knights, the bishops and even the pawns. However the pawns runs the risk of being locked into these extra files 31, 32 since they can only get into and out from them by a capture.

FIG. 2 illustrates the chessboard 21, as a chessboard with added extension squares to a conventional chessboard, with all of the pieces in the game at their respective starting positions. Each of the six added denoted squares, called “home squares”, is at the beginning of a game occupied by each players own extra three pieces denoted 1, 2 and 3 placed on their corresponding marked home squares. The six extra pieces is called stop pieces and the light stop pieces 41 belongs to the player with the light conventional pieces 42 and the dark stop pieces 43 belongs to the player with the dark conventional pieces 44. When to use these stop pieces 41, 43 by the players is determined by a random device 45, such as a dice, which constitutes an essential part of this modified chess game.

FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a chessboard within the scope of the invention where the conventional “64-area” in the central section is extended with two additional file sections 51, 52, the first additional file section 51 on the kingside and the second additional file section 52 one the queenside, each section containing three files and four ranks with totally twelve squares which two sections extend the chessboard to totally eighty-eight squares. The added squares in the file closest to the central section on the kingside are denoted 1, 2, 3, 4 from rank 6 downwards and the added squares in the file closest to the central section on the queenside are denoted 4, 3, 2, 1 from rank 6 downwards. In this embodiment the squares of the additional files closest to the central section on the kingside belongs to the player having light pieces and the squares of the additional files closest to the central section on the queenside belongs to the player having dark pieces. These denoted squares constitutes home squares for the players respective stop pieces which are denoted correspondingly. In such a design of the chessboard a factor of locking a conventional piece in an additional file section is added to the game.

Due to the added squares and the stop pieces in combination with the use of a random device, the following rules in addition to the conventional chess rules of FIDE are to be used in the two described embodiments:

-   -   1. Each move on the chessboard starts with using the random         device, in the following: rolling the dice.     -   2. If the selected random number appear, e.g. “6” on the dice,         the player must first move one of the stop pieces and then make         a conventional chess move with an ordinary piece. Otherwise a         conventional chess move is to be made.     -   3. When “6” appears on the dice, one of the following         alternatives of the stop piece move must be chosen:         -   a. one of the players own stop pieces is moved out from its             home square to any free square on the “64-area”, or         -   b. one of the players own stop pieces is moved back to its             home square from the “64-area”, or         -   c. one of the opponents stop pieces is moved back to its             home square from the “64-area”.     -   4. In case the home square is occupied by a conventional piece         in alternative 3 b) or 3 c) the stop piece will be omitted from         further participation in the game.     -   5. Stop pieces can not be passed by any of the conventional         pieces. However, the knights can off course pass a stop piece.     -   6. Stop pieces can not be captured by a conventional pieces.     -   7. Only one piece on one square at the same time is permitted.     -   8. No need to move the stop pieces consecutive by their number.

These additional rules can also be applied in a simpler way without the additional rule 4 which means that the additional squares are not to be used by the conventional pieces.

Even if the playing board is not a chessboard the same additionally rules under point 1-8 apply but correspondingly modified for the actual game.

The random device 45, indicated by a dice in the described embodiments of the invention, can be developed electronically and may be incorporated in a conventional chess clock for an automatic indication when the move shall be a “stop piece move”. This indication on the electronic device can be made either visually or as a sound or a combination of both these indications. Such an electronic indication device can be designed for a manually determination of the random number, e.g. in the interval of 1:2 to 1:9.

Other types of dices can be used as the random device such as a tetrahedron with the random number of 1:4; an octahedron with the random number of 1:8; a pentagonal trapezohedron with the random number of 1:10; a dodecahedron with the random number of 1:12; and an icosahedron with the random number of 1:20.

Further embodiments within the scope of the invention is the design of the additional files on the modified chessboard in that the number of extra squares in each file may be chosen from one to four or even six and eight on each side. Different embodiments of the chessboard can be provided in how to locate the additional squares along the files. For example at the number of three additional squares as in the described first embodiment they might contains two light squares and one dark square on each side instead of two dark and one white by moving the file one square.

Further embodiments can also involve more than one additionally file on each side of the chessboard and having certain squares dedicated to be home squares for a selected number of stop pieces. One example of such an embodiment have been described in FIG. 3. Several embodiments with combinations of files, their location and number of stop pieces can be made. Even the locations in rank 1-2 and 7-8 may be used.

Off course the shape of the stop pieces can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the invention.

The game of chess according to the present invention also covers embodiments of the game which can be played on electronic devices and on computers connected to a network. 

1. Method of playing a game conventionally based purely on skill comprising the steps of: providing a board divided into squares having light and dark colors; providing a set of ordinary playing pieces selected to move conventionally in selected paths; providing denoted squares constituting home squares for additional playing pieces known as stop pieces; providing a random device in addition to the said board and the said set of playing pieces; wherein each of the players making consecutive moves one at a time starting each move by using the random device for selecting either a conventional move or a stop piece move followed by a conventional move; wherein each stop piece blocks each moving path of any other piece on the board.
 2. Method of playing chess comprising the steps of: providing a chessboard with a center section comprising a matrix of squares arranged into ranks and files, in combination with a first additional side section and a second additional side section, each side section comprising a matrix of squares arranged into at least two ranks and at least one file; the side file of the first additional side section is contiguous with one side file of the center section and the side file of the second additional side section is contiguous with the opposite side file of the center section; the squares on the said chessboard comprises alternating squares of light and dark colors; providing at least one denoted home square in each side section; providing a set of playing pieces for each of two players, each said set comprising eight pawns, a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and at least one stop piece denoted correspondingly with said home square; providing a random device in addition to the said chessboard and the said set of playing pieces; arranging the two set of playing pieces in their starting positions on the said chessboard; each of the two players making moves one at a time starting each move by using the random device for selecting either a conventional move or a stop piece move followed by a conventional move; wherein each conventional move of the king, the queen, the bishops, the rooks, the knights and the pawns follow the rules of conventional chess; and wherein the stop piece move is selected from the following alternatives: a. one of the players own stop pieces is moved out from its home square to any free square on the center section, or b. one of the players own stop pieces is moved back to its home square from the center section, or c. one of the opponents stop pieces is moved back to its home square from the center section; wherein each stop piece blocks each moving path of any other piece on the chessboard.
 3. Method of playing chess according to claim 2 wherein said central section comprises an equal sided matrix of squares.
 4. Method of playing chess according to claim 3 wherein said equal sided matrix of squares forms an eight by eight chessboard.
 5. Method of playing chess according to claim 2 wherein each said side section contains only one file of squares.
 6. Method of playing chess according to claim 5 wherein each said side section contains no more than four squares placed on rank 3, 4, 5 and
 6. 7. Method of playing chess according to claim 6 wherein each said side section contains three squares placed on rank 3, 4, 5 on the first additional side section and on rank 4, 5, 6 on the second additional side section.
 8. Method of playing chess according to claim 7 wherein the squares on the first additional side section are denoted 1, 2, 3 from rank 5 downwards and the squares on the second additional side section are denoted 3, 2, 1 from rank 6 downwards.
 9. Method of playing chess according to claim 8 wherein each denoted square constitutes a home square for a correspondingly denoted stop piece.
 10. Method of playing chess according to any of the claims 1-2 wherein the determination of the random number of the random device is any from 1:2 to 1:9.
 11. Method of playing chess according to claim 10 wherein the random device is a dice with the random number 1:6. 